flstandardbreds Chapter 135 Going up the mountain
Chapter 135 Going up the mountain
Li Xiaoxiao led Yun Che through the fields until they reached the foot of the mountain near their own shrimp farm. The two of them walked up the mountain hand in hand.
Perhaps because they had set out early, no other villagers had yet come up the mountain. Yun Che, noticing the steep path up the mountain, asked Li Xiaoxiao to walk behind him while he walked ahead, holding her hand. Li Xiaoxiao wanted to say she'd walked this road a hundred times, but she couldn't resist Yun Che's insistence and had no choice but to follow his lead. Feeling Yun Che's warm, strong hand tightly gripping hers, she felt an indescribable sense of security and sweetness well up in her heart.
Although the mountain road was steep, under Yun Che's guidance, it seemed to no longer be so difficult to climb.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse treetops, dappling onto the two of them, adding a touch of warmth and comfort to this early morning hike. The occasional chirp of birds echoed through the mountains, accompanied by the rustling of bamboo leaves in the breeze, creating a beautiful natural symphony.
"Yun Che, look over there!" Li Xiaoxiao suddenly pointed at a bamboo forest not far away and shouted excitedly. Yun Che looked in the direction of her finger and saw a lush bamboo forest coming into view. The emerald green bamboo leaves sparkled in the morning light, as if each leaf contained the vitality of life.
Yun Che looked at Li Xiaoxiao's smiling face and felt that he could never get enough of it. "Then let's go over and take a look." Yun Che said, pulling Li Xiaoxiao towards the bamboo forest.
The two quickened their pace and soon arrived at the edge of the bamboo forest. Li Xiaoxiao skillfully parted the bamboos and saw emerald green bamboo shoots standing tall among them. Li Xiaoxiao casually pulled one out and said, "Yun Che, look, these are bamboo shoots. Let's pick some and cook them for lunch."
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Yun Che casually pulled up a bamboo shoot and placed it in the bamboo basket. There were many bamboo shoots in the forest, and the two of them soon filled a basket.
"Yun Che, let's go back. Let the villagers pick the remaining ones. I guess quite a few villagers will bring bamboo shoots to our house this afternoon."
“Okay, let’s go down the mountain.” Yun Che carried the backpack, took Li Xiaoxiao’s hand, and walked out of the bamboo forest, heading down the mountain.
On their way down the mountain, they encountered many villagers preparing to go up the mountain to pick bamboo shoots. Yun Che and Li Xiaoxiao both smiled and greeted them. Along the way, Li Xiaoxiao happily told Yun Che about interesting stories from the village in the past. Yun Che listened attentively, interjecting from time to time. Before they knew it, they had reached the door of their home.
"Mom, we're back!" Li Xiaoxiao shouted loudly before entering the door.
Bai came out of the house upon hearing the noise. Seeing the basket full of bamboo shoots, she said with a smile, "So many bamboo shoots! You two are really amazing!"
"These were all pulled out by Yun Che. I was just directing from the side." Li Xiaoxiao said with a smile.
"Yun Che is such a hardworking kid!" Bai praised.
Yun Che smiled and replied, "This is what I should do."
"Alright, come in and rest." Bai said, preparing to take the backpack from Yun Che's back. Yun Che quickly stopped Bai, "Mother, I'll do it. You rest."
After entering the house, Yun Che placed the backpack on the ground. Li Xiaoxiao quickly brought over two glasses of water. "Yun Che, come and drink some water." Yun Che thanked her and drank the water in one gulp.
At this moment, there was a commotion at the door. Li Xiaoxiao ran out to see that it was some children from the village playing. She remembered her childhood playmates from her previous life, and a wave of nostalgia rose in her heart.
Yun Che saw what she was thinking and asked softly, "Do you want to go play with them?" Li Xiaoxiao nodded, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes.
Yun Che smiled and said, "Go ahead, I'll chat with Mom first." Li Xiaoxiao gave him a grateful look and joined the children's game.
Seeing Li Xiaoxiao's smile, Yun Che felt an immense warmth in his heart. He decided to spend more time with her and let her live a happy life.
Bai went into the kitchen, took out a basket, and sat on a small stool in the yard, and began to peel the bamboo shoots. Yun Che saw this and went over to help. The two of them chatted while peeling, and the atmosphere was particularly harmonious.
Li Xiaoxiao played with the children in the village for a while and then returned. As soon as she entered the house, she saw Bai Shi and Yun Che chatting happily. Li Xiaoxiao smiled and ran over to squat on the ground, "Mom, what are you talking about? You seem so happy."
"I was telling Yun Che about your childhood!"
"Mom, I was just a little fool at that time. What's there to say about those things?" Li Xiaoxiao said indifferently.
"Xiaoxiao, no matter what you look like, in my eyes, you are my good daughter." Bai touched Li Xiaoxiao's head, her eyes full of smiles.
“Yes, Xiaoxiao. No matter what you were like before, you are the one I love the most.” Yun Che also echoed.
Li Xiaoxiao smiled slightly, stopped talking, and began to help Bai and Yun Che peel the bamboo shoots.
Soon, the bamboo shoots were peeled. Mrs. Bai stood up and brushed off the debris on her body. "Okay, Mom, go blanch the bamboo shoots so we can cook them for lunch."
"Okay, Mom. Let me see if the soybeans are soaked. If they are, we can grind them into soy milk and make tofu." Li Xiaoxiao also said.
Li Xiaoxiao walked into the kitchen, opened the lid of the pot, and saw that the soybeans inside had been soaked. She began to prepare to grind soy milk. Seeing this, Yun Che also stepped forward to help.
Li Xiaoxiao scooped out the soaked soybeans with a slotted spoon and placed them in a stone mill to grind into soy milk. Yun Che turned the millstone beside her, and as it turned, the fine soy milk slowly flowed out. Li Xiaoxiao smiled with satisfaction, knowing that this fresh soy milk would definitely add a unique flavor to the mapo tofu.
With Yun Che's help, a large basin of soybeans was soon ground into soy milk. Li Xiaoxiao washed the pot and heated it up. She poured half a bucket of soy milk into the pot, brought it to a boil, and then filled half a basin with sugar. "Mom, Yun Che, come and try this freshly made soy milk." Li Xiaoxiao called Bai and Yun Che over.
Bai and Yun Che came over upon hearing the noise, their faces filled with expectant smiles. Bai took the bowl first, took a sip, and then praised, "It smells so good! This soy milk is thick and sweet. My cooking skills are really getting better and better."
Yun Che also picked up a bowl and took a sip. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. "It's indeed delicious, Xiaoxiao. This soy milk is even better than the ones sold outside."
Li Xiaoxiao was delighted after hearing this. She smiled and said, "Of course, we ground it ourselves using the freshest soybeans and mountain spring water."
The three of them sat around a small table in the yard, enjoying this simple yet warm moment. The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, shining on them and bringing a touch of warmth.